If you’re anything like me, you’re passionate about using your hands to make beautiful things. But have you considered creating something equally beautiful within yourself? Today I want to gift you a powerfully simple tool combo to help you transform your daily routine and enhance your every day. So I’ve asked my good friend Jenise O’Brien of Wicklow Soul Yoga to help me out! Jenise has been cultivating a yoga practice for the last 22 years and is passionate about spreading the inspiration and healing of Hatha, Vinyasa and Yin yoga. Her yoga practice also helped her overcome chronic hip and back pain after an accident, making her stronger and more flexible than before. Jenise’s soothing voice will guide you in finding a feeling of grounding, relaxation and creativity through a very simple mindfulness practice that you can easily incorporate into your daily routine.
Creative Chaos and the Cluttered Mind
As a maker, you’re more likely than not often juggling multiple creative ideas, projects and deadlines, not to mention other responsibilities like work and family. It’s no wonder you feel like you’re constantly rushing from one task to the next –mind busy with racing thoughts– without ever taking a moment to just… breathe! Does this sound familiar?
This constant stress can leave you feeling frustrated and even disconnected from the joy that crafting usually brings. It’s hard to stay inspired and creative when your mind is cluttered and your body is tense. When was the last time you took a moment just for yourself, to truly soften and unwind?
I know too well what it feels like to have the mind rushing at 100 km/h all the time, to the point that even trying to enjoy my natural dyeing practice seems impossible. There never seems to be enough time, with the amount of tasks on my to-do list! But I recently came across a game-changing time management technique that fits in perfectly with Jenise’s offering and I want you to also experience its power.
So let’s do this! Time to reclaim your peace of mind and enhance your craft practice, making it more enjoyable and fulfilling.
Chop Your Tasks, Chill Your Mind: The Pomodoro-Meditation Combo!
Many time management tips suggest breaking up your work into smaller actionable tasks… but what happens with open-ended work that could take unlimited time? For example, if you’re doing research for a future body of work or writing a grant application for a project. It’s easy to get stuck for hours into the flow of the creative work itself, but when it comes to never-ending admin tasks, any distraction can derail the whole thing. And at the end of the day, you’ll probably still feel like you got nothing done, despite sitting in your computer for hours and being exhausted.
Enter the Pomodoro Technique 🍅⏲️
The Pomodoro Technique was designed by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s using a kitchen timer in the shape of a tomato to break up work into smaller intervals. Hence the name: pomodoro comes from the shape of the kitchen timer! Of course, now a days you can use your phone timer if you prefer. The gist of it is this:
- Decide on one task to focus on
- Set your timer: typically for 25 minutes, but you can get flexible – I’ll tell you more about it below
- Work on the task, ignoring all distractions
- When the timer rings, stop and take a short break of 5-10 minutes
- Repeat until you’ve completed 4 pomodori: 4 intervals of work with their respective short breaks in between
- Take a long break of 20-3o minutes
- Repeat!
The typical guideline is to set your timer to 25 minutes of work and 5 minute breaks in between each pomodoro, but I like to adjust depending on the task I’m working on. For example, if I’m writing a blog post like this or responding to emails, I’ll stick to the 25-5 rule, but if I’m doing more creative work with my hands such as dyeing yarn for a customer, I’ll just embrace the creative flow and take a short break whenever there’s a natural pause in the work.
So What to do During the Short Breaks?
This is where Jenise’s ritual comes in handy! An excellent way to reset your brain after 25 minutes of very focused work is to incorporate some mindfulness in between. Luckily, you don’t need to be in any particular space or have any fancy equipment to find stillness and calm for six minutes. Just sit down (or lay down if you have the space for it!), put on your earphones, breathe deeply and press play:
To make it handy for you, I’ve also included a downloadable audio-only version of this meditation to carry in your phone wherever you go!
Try mixing in this short meditation ritual with other quick activities such a enjoying a cup of tea, reading a few pages of your book, or even doing a few chores around the house, like putting on the wash. If you’ve been doing computer work, try to avoid defaulting to just scrolling on your phone. But remember to keep it to 5-10 minutes before setting your timer again to continue working without distractions!
Imagine resuming your work with a clear mind and a calm heart. You’ll find that your creativity flows more naturally, your focus is sharper, and your overall experience is much more enjoyable. I’m sure you’ll feel more balanced and present in all areas of your life, not only your work or your craft.
What if Meditation is Not for Me?
The beauty of combining the Pomodoro Technique with 6 minutes of mindfulness is that the excuse of “I don’t have time to meditate” suddenly crumbles. Jenise’s short meditation is perfect because of how simple and versatile it is. You can do it anytime, anywhere! Whether it’s in the morning before you start your day, during one of your Pomodoro breaks, or even right before a crafting session. It’s designed to fit into your busy schedule, not disrupt it.
But if you struggle to quiet your mind and stay still –even for five minutes– fear not! Here’s another grounding activity for you, this one has nothing to do with staying still. It’s a brilliant ritual to get your creative juices flowing and release some pent-up energy.
Try it Before you Ditch it
So, why not give the Pomodoro-Mindfulness combo a try? It’s as easy as setting your timer, getting to work and then rewarding your efforts with a self-regulating ritual. Try it out for a few days and see how it transforms your day!
Check out the next prompt for your relaxing daily ritual! It involves flowers and colours and I’m sure you’ll love it. Sign up below if you want to get these prompts delivered straight to your inbox ⬇️
